Tea India CTC Assam Loose Leaf Black Tea Strong, Full-Bodied Flavorful Blend Of Premium Black Tea Made with Natural Ingredients Traditional Indian Tea Caffeinated Iced Tea Breakfast Tea 3LB

When I first learned about CTC, or the cut-tear-curl method of processing tea, it sounded downright destructive. "CTC must produce an inferior grade of tea," I thought. This Tea India purchase proved me wrong. Not only is this a big package of tea, which can easily supply one person for 10 months or more, but it tastes great and is sold at a bargain price. I've been buying large amounts of exotic teas from overseas for a decade or more, so I consider my tea standards to be rather high. I am very pleasantly surprised by this tea. I'm glad I have the 2 pounds (and dwindling) of it in a jar in my cabinet, available whenever I need some nice, fast, tasty black tea. Despite the fine, almost powdery texture, I think it will retain its flavor for a year or more. "Fast" is certainly applicable to this tea and is one of its virtues. The fine granularity of leaf produced by CTC makes it possible to have a rich, dark cup of black tea after steeping for a mere minute or two. Don't use too much tea (it's concentrated) or steep it much longer than 2-3 minutes, or it may get too strong and bitter. Nonetheless, these features make for convenient brewing--Just steep for a few seconds, and pour! I find the flavor to be very comforting. It brings me back to my early memories of drinking Lipton or Tetley tea, the kinds I grew up drinking as a kid. But that doesn't mean it has a mundane or supermarket taste. It's very rich and full bodied. It calls to mind a warm and cozy kitchen. It has a smooth taste when prepared right, which is not difficult. At first I thought it might be too strong a tea to enjoy without milk, but later I accidentally drank a cup of cold Tea India tea with no milk, and it was great! I do think this tea pairs perfectly with milk, however. It's not labeled organic, but it certainly tastes clean and natural. Regarding the question of whether the tea has a "malty" taste, associated with its assamica pedigree, I'd say, yes, it does have a mild malty taste, and that contributes somewhat to the comforting character of the drink. I continue to buy more exotic and expensive teas while enjoying this one at the same time. I like to maintain a collection of teas, so I'm happy I bought this product and would do it again.

Delicious. Malty and dark. Perfect with honey and milk. Quick brewing too!

This is an outstanding product which makes a smooth but strong cup of breakfast tea.

I’m a big fan of Assam and have been eyeing this one for a while. I was hesitant about the CTC tea but based on the reviews and the fact that you get two pounds of tea for slightly more then I usually pay for one pound, I gave it a go. Overall, I’d say this is a good but unspectacular tea that nonetheless is reliable and does certain things very well. This is my first non teabag CTC tea and it took a few tries to figure out how to brew it optimally. If you are used to orthodox loose leaf tea, you will probably find yourself using less leaf and steeping for less time. I do think it is higher quality tea than what you usually find in teabags, but not as much so as with orthodox Assam. It brews quickly and makes a dark, red, powerful cup of tea. It’s aroma is recognizably Assam with malt and a faint ghost of fruitiness. The aroma pales compared to most orthodox Assams but it is pleasant. On the palate, the tea is strong and flavorful, though less malty than I expected. The flavor is perfectly fine, if rather one note. If brewed carefully, it is tasty enough to drink straight, though quite plain. It is better with milk, a classic Assam milk tea taste when brewed optimally, though again lacking in the more nuanced flavors of an orthodox tea. The tea is at its best with both milk and sugar. If you take your morning tea strong and with milk and sugar in a classic British style this does quite well. Unsurprisingly, it makes magnificent Masala chai and karak chai. Even if this is not how you usually take tea, I recommend trying it using the chai recipe on the tea India website. It truly is amazing stuff brewed in the Indian style. Finally, this makes outstanding iced tea, particularly when cold brewed. Overall, I prefer orthodox Assams and would recommend either of Ahmad’s Assams over this one. They are just more interesting and have more depth and nuance of flavor. I’m not hostile to CTC tea but it is its own thing. This is a workmanlike tea; a builders tea. Know what you are getting and what you want it for. If you like your tea strong and are planning on making Indian style chai, iced tea, or classic British tea with milk and sugar this is an excellent tea at great value.

Never had this before. Looks granulated but it’s not. Used about 3/4 to 1 tsp, made a really nice, rich 10 oz cup of tea. Bag steeped 6-7 minutes, not bitter. My new cup of tea.

I used to buy this tea in bulk at a local store until I moved It’s mellow and flavorful. Just love it!

great value...current daily tea

Very nice black tea flavour. Would buy again

Thank you

Dark and malty. Perfect with milk